Month: October 2008

As I am now back to work, I finally have the time to lie on my couch and enjoy some reading. This reading is an evil thing, mind you. Its not like television where you have things constantly dancing in front of you for how ever long its on– no, this reading thing actually gets you thinking about things!Not only are you thinking about the reading you are doing, but your mind is also attempting to put these things into a video like sequence inside of you head to make the words seem more appealing!I know, I can hardly contain myself!Last night I went and saw Sarah Vowell speaking at Town Hall. It was just what I needed to pull myself out of the rut I have been in lately–thus rut which is mostly brought on by the upcoming election and how most conversations either involve that–or television.Vowell has a new book out, The Wordy Shipmates, which I have instantly (and not intentionally), put in front of the other masses of literary schwag I have purchased since getting that first back at work paycheck just a few short weeks ago……and I am glad that I did just that.Her talk last night was specifically arranged to showcase the book, but she didnt read for long and when she was done, a question and answer period followed. She was kind and it was not as tiresome as it normally is–there were actually moments where I was quite interested in the book and so purchased it and got it and a couple of McSweeney’s along, which she remarked that she hadn’t actually seen them in awhile.So, it has inspired me once again to begin reading and writing again.But now I must go and zone out at the gym.Hope you’re well.Heading to Pullman this weekend, the first time since graduation.

This one is supposed to be different than the other ones.This one is done in a town hall style, with people asking questions that will no doubt be read from a card, real people asking rehearsed questions.What do I expect in the next hour and half?Lots of nothing– a serious lack of McCain answering questions about the economy, Obama not calling him on it, vice versa.The American public will once again come away from this wondering how the hell we got to where we are, afraid to discuss the issues that are directly impacting us and the way that we live. All of this goes without us really being present in the process.

Heres a question:1. What do you think of the arrests of journalists and protesters from the GOP convention?

I have decided to start using the title of each posting as where I am posting it from… So today, its …from Redmond as I am sitting in my office in building 28 of the Micrsoft campus working on a release of something new for MS (but thats all I will say on the internets about it).

I have been spending much of my days frustrated and unable to write about whats happening politically in our country because I think we are all suffering greatly from the sensory overload that the upcoming election is having upon us.

It feels good to just pull away from all of the pure bullshit and not think about it–because for most of us, its just depressing that these are the best that America offers up to the highest position in the land.

Don’t get me wrong. This is the first time in my entire life that I have felt connected to a candidate and that I mostly agree with– I really do think that Obama as president will do one major thing for the rest of this country above all others–and that is bring hope and trust back into politics. The two foundations of our entire way of life is based on two basic principals: Hope and Trust. Both of these things have been erased by the previous administration and we need to get it back to an even playfield.